Feet on a computer casing serve both to set up the computer casing on a supporting surface in a sturdy manner and to reduce oscillations and sound waves generated by components inside the computer casing. In particular, rotating parts of mechanisms or cooling devices such as ventilating fans, generate oscillations or vibrations which continue in the form of structure-borne noise at mechanical connections inside the computer casing and finally as far as up to the feet on the outer casing walls. If the structure-borne noise is transmitted from a foot onto the supporting surface for the computer casing, this generates interference noises.
Solutions to reduce oscillations, vibrations and resulting structure-borne noise by one or several damping elements already exist, the damping elements being arranged on the feet. Damping elements of this type are produced, for example, from an elastic plastics material, at least part of the computer casing being coupled such that with the damping elements, vibrations and oscillations of the computer casing are able to be damped by the damping element.
However, these types of damping elements only trigger an inadequate reduction in structure-borne noise as other parts of the foot coupled to the computer casing transmit structure-borne noise from the computer casing onto the supporting surface via the foot. DE 202007008416 U1, EP 0844838 B1, DE 19919302 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,735 A disclose feet where a base element that contacts a supporting surface and a fastening element for fastening the foot on a device housing by one or several intermediate elements are mechanically uncoupled. The intermediate elements, in this case, can act in an advantageous manner as damping elements.
The disadvantage of the aforementioned solutions, however, on the one hand, is a relatively high level of expenditure on construction and, on the other hand, damping of mechanical oscillations or vibrations which acts substantially only in an axial manner.
Consequently, it could be helpful to provide a foot for a computer casing which ensures improved reduction of oscillations and sound waves both in the axial direction and in the radial direction and, in addition, is constructed in a structurally simpler manner than conventional solutions.